


a different lifetime

by sleepoverwork



Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Marvel Noir
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, M/M, Magic Mirrors, Multiverse, POV Bucky Barnes, Time Shenanigans, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, do not copy to another site
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:35:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29116107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepoverwork/pseuds/sleepoverwork
Summary: By chance, a random stroke of fate, even by luck, Bucky Barnes discovers a magic mirror that leads to different place, a different time.Bucky Barnes meets Tony Stark and it quickly spirals into, what should be an impossible bond.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Comments: 8
Kudos: 38
Collections: Winteriron Winter Stockings 2020





	a different lifetime

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lacrimula_Falsa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lacrimula_Falsa/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [Lacrimula_Falsa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lacrimula_Falsa/pseuds/Lacrimula_Falsa) in the [winteriron_winter_stockings_2020](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/winteriron_winter_stockings_2020) collection. 



> My take for Lacrimula_Falsa's prompt "unusual takes on something supernatural".

Bucky reaches out and places his palm on the mirror. He closes his eyes and breathes in, holding his breath as he waits for the cool glass to soak up the heat of his hand.

By the time his lungs scream for air, the coolness is long gone and replaced by a hand intertwining it’s fingers with his.

“Good evening pretty eyes,” Tony says, fluttering his eyelashes in the exaggerated manner that always makes Bucky laugh. He’s wearing his classic button down, and even if Bucky can’t make out any colors, he catalogs all the small patches of where someone has haphazardly sewed it back together. Per usual, he wouldn’t be Tony if he didn’t have the top four buttons undone, showing a large portion of his upper chest. It’s a quick look that Bucky can’t help, before Tony gives a short squeeze as his thumb strokes the soft skin of Bucky’s wrist to ground him back into the present.

“Hello Tony. I see you’ve missed me,” Bucky teases, bringing their hands to his mouth so he can place a kiss on Tony’s knuckles. The warmth from Tony’s hand is a strange sensation. Sometimes, Bucky thinks it’s just the way he feels when Tony is near that creates the warmth all on it’s own.

“James! What will the tablecloth say?” Tony gasps dramatically, eyes flickering like the table holding decades worth of dust will spring at them at any moment. Bucky takes the moment to study Tony’s eyes. If the angle is just right, it’s almost as if he can see the blue of Tony’s eyes shining through the overlay of fog that dulls every part of Tony’s form to grey.

“Of course. We can’t have the tablecloth see such unseemly things, my love,” Bucky says, hiding his grin and lets go of Tony’s hand. Suddenly all of Tony’s focus is back on him and he’s rushing to hold both of Bucky’s hands in his.

“Let’s not be too hasty my dear. You’ll break poor grandfather clock’s heart, you know?”

“That just won’t do at all. We are in quite the pickle, my heart.”

They both simultaneously start cackling like loons. Bucky is trying to be careful of inhaling the dust that is layered on everything in the room. Although, with the way Tony doubles over, tears threatening to slip from his eyes but still determined to hold Bucky’s hands in his, it’s hard to care about swallowing a little dirt.

Tony regains control first and stands up, pulling futility at Bucky’s right arm to get him to stand too. Bucky grins up at him cheekily.

“Barnes. Get. Your Heavy. Buttock. Up.” Tony emphasizes the words as he continues to pull at Bucky’s arm.

“Tony,” Bucky laughs after a particularly hard yank causes him to slide a foot towards Tony. “Tony, stop. I’m getting up. Tony! You’re going to make me need two metal arms!”

He’s still laughing as he shakes his hand loose from Tony’s to get up and wipe as much dust he can off himself. He gets a bit distracted by some that’s stuck on his long bangs that just won’t let go that he panics that Tony has disappeared in the moments he’s taken his eyes off his friend.

He turns and ends up almost colliding directly into Tony’s chest.

“Woah there soldier,” Tony takes a step back just in time to dodge Bucky but grabs his bicep to prevent him from falling backwards from recalibrating. 

“I must say people usually fall for me, not at me.”

There’s an ache in between Bucky’s heartbeats that hits because he does love Tony. He’s pretty sure he’s loved Tony since he stumbled into this half rotten mansion on a dare from Steve to “relive the glory days of their youth”, and managed to meet Tony’s eyes through the mirror.

The surprise they shared, which instantly turned into an argument that their own disbelief was more than the other’s. 

Then, they had a rushed goodbye when Steve called after Bucky. Not too rushed for them to stare a little longer into each other’s eyes until Steve’s worried tone had snapped them both out of the strange trance. Bucky’s not sure why he came back. Curiosity, perhaps. Wonder, at the idea. Perhaps, just to make sure it wasn’t a trick of the light.

Either way, he found Tony waiting there, both pleasantly surprised it wasn’t just a vivid hallucination. Tony was excited, curious, and brimming with life at the possibilities. They learn they’re both on the edge of twenty-nine. Both are fascinated by the mechanics of the world. Both have a heart for adventure. And, both long to find something more to life than just sitting back and let the wind take them any which way.

The magic all whittled away when they thought to share their current dates. The mood soured as Bucky learned Tony must be just a memory from decades ago, a ghost of the past that can’t step outside the walls of this room except for how he haunts Bucky’s thoughts. Not that Bucky would say something so pointless to Tony, who lives in the peak of World War II while Bucky has the luxury of, at least the illusion, of peace in 2014. 

Bucky shifts back to the present and swallows down the longing to turn his head towards Tony, who’s smile has fallen within the moment it took for Bucky’s mind to spiral.

“It’s the striking facial hair that does it for me,” Bucky manages to tease as he straightens. Tony doesn't let go but his expression softens as he looks down into Bucky’s eyes.

Tony blinks in surprise and then looks over his shoulder, letting go of Bucky’s bicep slowly.

“What is it?” Bucky steps to see what it is that has captured Tony’s attention but only sees himself in the mirror.

“I have to go.” Tony’s voice is just above a whisper, cracking as he trails off. He turns to catch Bucky’s eyes, a light that he always associated as unequivocally Tony, has dimmed in them.

Bucky licks his lips and gives his best smile in support.

“You could stay?”

The words burst out of Bucky’s tradiorous mouth and they both freeze, stuck on the other’s eyes. Tony’s smile grows and it’s unrealistic how much his whole body brightens.

“I can’t,” Tony confesses, still smiling at Bucky despite his words. Before Bucky can regain some sort of dignity from his foot-in-mouth syndrome, Tony steps closer and reaches for Bucky’s hand, never breaking eye contact.

He brings it up to his mouth and presses a soft kiss to Bucky’s knuckles before he cradles his face into Bucky’s metal hand.

“Next time I’ll stay,” Tony breathes the promise into Bucky’s palm and honestly to the stars above, Bucky swears Tony flickers in and out of full color. The piercing blue of his eyes against the suntanned skin where the sun has kissed his face. Tony has tiny brown freckles painted all over his face that weren’t noticeable before. Bucky’s eyes travel down to where his other hand has snuck just inside Tony’s olive green shirt over where his heart is beating rapidly. It’s the first time Bucky sees there’s a slight difference in Tony’s skin in contrast to Bucky’s natural warmer brown.

Tony, who must be oblivious to Bucky’s confusion, presses one last kiss into his metal palm and turns to walk straight into the mirror. Bucky watches him pause for a moment on the other side before he looks back at Bucky, all grey again except his blue eyes, and winks.

**Author's Note:**

> From my comment in the comments to the end notes, a whole paragraph of thoughts/ideas:
> 
> The idea is Tony found an artifact from his travels (cause IM Noir he's an adventurer) and he brings the mirror home even though it doesn't seem to *do* anything (hint hint, wink wink, nudge nudge) for the trophy aspect of it BUT THEN WHAM BAM. It suddenly activates - not sure how but *wavy hands* magic - and allows Marvel Noir Tony to met Modern AU!Bucky. So Tony is able to time travel through the mirror (to where his home is now an abandoned ghost story... (which is where I had the brilliant idea in the middle of typing this idea that the mirror has always worked, it was just more random AKA unnoticed by Tony's side. I would think when two people happen to be looking at the mirror on both sides, maybe even a glance past it, hmmm I'll think on it I promise) So the mirror would "randomly" activate" on the more modern side and then people started hearing voices or seeing things and TADA, a homemade ghost story for the kids (and everyone else). Specifically, the line "next time, I'll stay" is suppose to be kinda hopeful, like Tony is tying up loose ends so he can stay longer. Never forever cause he's got his people and I don't think Tony would ever abandon his home completely. But he does wanna see Bucky's world and meet Bucky's people, as well as take Bucky back with him to meet his own people.
> 
> Maybe a spin-off duo add ons. One very sappy and sweet and what I wrote above expanded, and another... more ghostly >:3 (although probably not very, cause I'm a huge softy and really enjoy writing soft things).
> 
> If you made it here, thank you immensely. I had a grand time writing this and I ADORE the idea so it's on my endless list of ideas to come back to. No promises on time but, yeah. Thanks for being here with me <3


End file.
